Église Sainte-Marie, Church Point, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Église Sainte-Marie is a Catholic church located in Church Point, Nova Scotia
, Canada
. It is the largest and tallest wooden building in North America
. Built in the form of a cross, the church nave
measures 58 metres (190 feet) in length, with transepts that are 41 metres (135 feet) across. The church spire rises 56 metres (185 feet) from floor to steeple, with its cross adding another 1.67 meters (5.6 feet). Originally 15 feet taller, the church steeple was struck by lightning in 1914, requiring part of the spire to be rebuilt.
following the Great Upheaval
, the deportation of the Acadians. A second chapel was built in 1786 on a point of land jutting into St. Mary's Bay, giving rise to the name "Church Point".
A third church was built following the arrival of Jean-Mandé Sigogne, the first resident priest. This church was built along the main road in the community, where the parish cemetery is now located, rather than on the point. It burned down in September 1820. It was rebuilt in a classical Georgian style, and served the community from 1829 to 1905, when the present church was opened.
Construction on the present church began in 1903. Father Pierre-Marie Dagnaud, a Eudist Roman Catholic priest, was appointed the head of Collège Sainte-Anne
in 1899, thereby becoming the parish priest of St. Mary's. He decided on the construction of a grand church, and hired Auguste Regneault of Rennes, France as his architect. The church was built by master carpenter Léo Melanson, with the assistance of 1500 parishioners.
and by the design of the church in Father Dagnaud's home town of Bains-sur-Ouste, France. The central steeple is flanked by a pair of turrets, with four more turrets surrounding the spire.
The church is exposed to the strong winds from St. Mary's Bay, so 40 tons of stone ballast were used to stabilize the steeple, and canvas, rather than plaster, was used for the walls.
The steeple holds three bronze bells imported from France, the largest weighing almost 800 kilograms.
windows, below which runs a band of Romanesque
arches around the church. The walls are painted white, and nine flower edged tableaux are painted on the central ceiling vaults. White oak pews have replaced the original chairs that were used for seating.
The church attracts thousands of tourists annually, and a museum room that is open to the public was established inside the church in 1970. The museum features a reliquary handcrafted by an Acadian artist from the region and a collection of religious and liturgical artifacts.
Church Point, Nova Scotia
Pointe-de-l'Église , is a village located on Saint Mary's Bay in the District of Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is home to Université Sainte-Anne and is known primarily for the tallest wooden church in North America, Église Sainte-Marie, which is located just north of the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the largest and tallest wooden building in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Built in the form of a cross, the church nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
measures 58 metres (190 feet) in length, with transepts that are 41 metres (135 feet) across. The church spire rises 56 metres (185 feet) from floor to steeple, with its cross adding another 1.67 meters (5.6 feet). Originally 15 feet taller, the church steeple was struck by lightning in 1914, requiring part of the spire to be rebuilt.
History
The first church built in the Church Point area, part of Nova Scotia's French Shore, was at Grosses Coques. Built in 1774, it was a rough chapel to serve the needs of Acadians returning from MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
following the Great Upheaval
Great Upheaval
The Expulsion of the Acadians was the forced removal by the British of the Acadian people from present day Canadian Maritime provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island...
, the deportation of the Acadians. A second chapel was built in 1786 on a point of land jutting into St. Mary's Bay, giving rise to the name "Church Point".
A third church was built following the arrival of Jean-Mandé Sigogne, the first resident priest. This church was built along the main road in the community, where the parish cemetery is now located, rather than on the point. It burned down in September 1820. It was rebuilt in a classical Georgian style, and served the community from 1829 to 1905, when the present church was opened.
Construction on the present church began in 1903. Father Pierre-Marie Dagnaud, a Eudist Roman Catholic priest, was appointed the head of Collège Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne is a francophone university located in the seaside town of Pointe-de-l'Église in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only French-language university in the province of Nova Scotia and is one of only two such universities in the Maritime Provinces, the other being the Université...
in 1899, thereby becoming the parish priest of St. Mary's. He decided on the construction of a grand church, and hired Auguste Regneault of Rennes, France as his architect. The church was built by master carpenter Léo Melanson, with the assistance of 1500 parishioners.
Construction
The design of the church was influenced by the architecture of the famous chateaux of the Loire ValleyLoire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
and by the design of the church in Father Dagnaud's home town of Bains-sur-Ouste, France. The central steeple is flanked by a pair of turrets, with four more turrets surrounding the spire.
The church is exposed to the strong winds from St. Mary's Bay, so 40 tons of stone ballast were used to stabilize the steeple, and canvas, rather than plaster, was used for the walls.
The steeple holds three bronze bells imported from France, the largest weighing almost 800 kilograms.
Interior
The interior of Église Sainte-Marie features a high, vaulted ceiling lit by a row of clerestoryClerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows, below which runs a band of Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
arches around the church. The walls are painted white, and nine flower edged tableaux are painted on the central ceiling vaults. White oak pews have replaced the original chairs that were used for seating.
The church attracts thousands of tourists annually, and a museum room that is open to the public was established inside the church in 1970. The museum features a reliquary handcrafted by an Acadian artist from the region and a collection of religious and liturgical artifacts.